HBO has some pretty good stuff. The thing is, HBO is actually embracing technology and making me feel like a valued customer. I'm happy to pay for the service because the original content they provide is worth it to me (though canceling 'Bored to Death' is a bummer). Even better, they rolled out HBO Go, which gives me full access to every episode of every series they've made and I can watch it on my iPhone, my computer, or even my TV through plenty of devices the app is on. I'm sure when they were planning the service one of the bean counters brought up the fact that if they offer every season of the Sopranos free online to subscribers that it might negatively effect past season DVD sales, but they decided to go forward and do it anyway, and it's a great use of technology to add value to subscribers that makes customers feel appreciated.

I think the MPAA is on to something. The best way to stop piracy would be to mandate the 2400 baud modems I had in the mid '90's.

But this time with a cap on total transfer. Let's say 250MB/month.

You sir are clearly a pirate for suggesting such a thing! Do you know how many 240p videos you'd be able to steal through those tubes? Clearly they need to be made narrower to avoid killing more jobs in the ailing U.S. entertainment industry.

'I say to you that the MPAA is to the American internet industry and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone.'

I was so impressed by your post that I clapped in approval in front of my monitor. Great post, sir

I know MPAA anger so many people and sir you're one of them, but comparing it to a Boston strangler is the beginning of MPAA's new era. You are the man. If there is any, MPAA is committing a victimless crime. better yet to say MPAA plays a role of its own sole victim itself <in this Google's plan>.

Gosh darn that Henry Ford. Contraptions moving around at 10mph, people will start robbing banks! What is this world coming to when good decent rich, special interest...ooops I mean honest, hard working American's can be free of this soon to be, as yet unspecified epidemic of bank robberies. But there coming.

They're so obsessed with piracy they fail to see the value of high speed internet to their bottom line.

I've know people since the early 80s willing to take absurd amounts of time to get a single file they then spread around their community. An Amiga game released in Europe with no US distribution would still be in the hands of thousands of Amiga owners within the week. It just took one copy to come across and then spread over local BBS networks from there.

Nowadays, the equivalent of that game would go live on legit download sales channel across much of the globe the same day or within a short time frame. For a much lower price after inflation is factored in. Or even without. A $40 game from 1987 is pretty well matched in value by the typical $10 XBLA item.

Also, impulse buys and spontaneity mean a lot for legit sales. I've waited days for a movie I wanted to watch to drip down a slow connection back in the 90s but today my connection is fast enough to make subscribing to Netflix worth considering. (I don't but I've considered it. I go through long periods where I lack the interest so the subscription model isn't a good choice for me.) Being able to get it RIGHT NOW makes it a lot easier to get a few buks out of the consumer. The more time they have to think about it the more likely they are to remember some reason not to blow the money or a cheaper way to get it.

HBO has some pretty good stuff. The thing is, HBO is actually embracing technology and making me feel like a valued customer. I'm happy to pay for the service because the original content they provide is worth it to me (though canceling 'Bored to Death' is a bummer). Even better, they rolled out HBO Go, which gives me full access to every episode of every series they've made and I can watch it on my iPhone, my computer, or even my TV through plenty of devices the app is on.

Well, not really embracing any new models outside of the "you need cable to buy this" model, which sucks.

I have a fistful of cash for them, but I have no desire to pay my cable company for all the other crap that I never watch in order to be able to buy one premium channel.